self-guided Tour of Herrick Family Historical Sites in/around Leicester, England by Alice Herrick Reynolds January 2020
Medieval Map of Leicester
This brochure includes most of the historical Herrick sites that have been found to date (2019).
The Herrick Family Association hopes it will allow you to explore Herrick history on your own or with the help of a guide. An abbreviated family genealogy links which Herrick was involved with which site. For more information, contact the Herrick Family Association or visit our website at www.herrickfamilyassociation.org.
1 Herrick Family TREE
Although DNA studies indicate that the Herrick family has Viking roots in England, we are unable to identify specific Viking ancestors as of 2019. Some family histories suggest that Eric the Forester of Leicester was an ancient ancestor of the family, but the connection has not been confirmed. The following family tree includes Herricks who appear in the earliest records of Leicester through two major branches in the 1600s.
Eyryk of Stretton HGR III #1 1216-1272
Alan Eyryk of Stretton Henry Eyryk of Stretton
HGR III #2 HGR III #3
John of Eyrk of Stretton HGR III #5
Robert Eyryk of Stretton HGR III #6 m. Joana
Robert de Stretton (Eyryk) William de Stretton (Eyryk) John Bishop, d. 1389 Knight, served in 1355 HGR III #7 Adelena HGR III #7
Robert Eyricke Houghton on the Hill HGR #11
Thomas Eyricke of Leicester d. 1518 Robert Eyricke Houghton on Hill HGR III #13 HGR III #12
Nicholas Eyrick of Leicester John Eyrick of Leicester Mayor of Leicester d. 1562, buried at Leicester Married Mary Bond Cathedral - Mercer Draper HGR III #14 Mayor of Leicester 1557, d. 1589, buried at Leicester Cathedral Ironmonger HGR III #15
2 children including: 12 children including: Thomas Eyrick, HGR III #18, linen draper, mayor of Sir William Heyricke, knighted by James I who Leicester, was a nonconformist and had 7 children. had 11 children including Henry John Heyricke, John Eyrick, HGR III #17, had 3 children and a HGR III # 58, b. 1604 who served the family in grandson Henry Hericke, b. 1598. The HFA believes it Jamestown, Virginia in 1641-1658 and clerked in is this Henry Hericke who settled in Salem, MA in England as for the Heyricke family business. 1629 and is progenitor of most Herricks in America. See HFA website for theory paper. 2 First Signs of the Herricks
Map Location 1. Great Stretton: site of the overgrown and abandoned village of Great Stretton. Bishop Robert de Stretton (Eyryk) built a manor house here with a moat. The shapes of the village can still be seen. St. Giles church served the village and had a chapel build by Bishop Robert. The church is too dangerous to enter because of falling roof slate, but you can walk around it. Hire a taxi or arrange to work with our local guide, Irene Turlington, to see these sites. Permission of the land owner might be required. See p. 9.
Map Location 2. St. Catherine’s Church in Houghton on the Hill. Robert Eyricke lived in Houghton on the hill about 1450. Members of the Herrick family were residents into the 1700s. The plaque inside the church lists Herrick donations and church leaders including Thomas and Tobias Hericke who were rectors in the 1600s. The baptismal font was originally in the St. Giles Church in Great Stretton. It is a lovely church with powerful Viking metal work on the doors and windows. Permission to visit the church can be arranged. There is an old pub in town that serves a nice lunch. See p. 9.
3 Early Herricks In Leicester Thomas Eyrick #13 moved to Leicester. His brother, Robert #12 also moved to Leicester. Thomas was the first Herrick whose name appears in the Corporation of Leicester Records. He bought one house, later sold it to his brother Robert. Both were alive during the reign of Richard III, House of York, when the King spent his last night in Leicester, before he was defeated and killed in the famous Battle of Bosworth Field in 1483. His body was displayed and “irreverently buried”. Later his body was entombed in a ‘hasty grave’ in the choir area of the Greyfriars building in Leicester. The building was torn down and the stones were used in other buildings, including the home of Robert Eyricke. A stone monument marked the spot in Robert Eyricke’s garden. He often talked about it with visitors, and one, Christopher Wren, the father of the famous builder of cathedrals, noted it in his diary. Recent excavations located Richard III’s tomb, DNA tests confirmed his identity, a wonderful Visitor’s Center has been built nearby, and he has been reinterred in the Leicester Cathedral.
Robert Eyricke’s house as seen from the roof of the Cathedral about 1850. It was torn down soon later and the garden became the car park, where Richard III’s grave was
found,
Old structure on Market Street that may have a Herrick connection – Map site 3. Wigston House, Richard III Thomas’ home? contemporary to early Herrick 1452-1485 homes, was a restaurant in 2015, see map on page 10.
4 Herricks in 1500-1700’s The family became established as merchants in Leicester in both the metals (ironmonger, gold) and clothe (wood, leather) trades. Thomas Eyricke’s sons, Nicholas (#14) (cloth) and John (#15) (metals) and their next generations, shared resources and business interests around the globe, investing in trading companies working in South East Asia, all over Europe and in the New World. They worked with other merchants and leaders at the Guildhall developing Leicester as a successful trading center. They are listed on plaques as contributors to the churches - All Saints, St. Nicholas and St. Martins, now referred to as Leicester Cathedral – and community. It is our theory that Henry Hericke was married at All Saints and his children were baptized at St. Nicholas in Leicester and at St. Peter’s in Belgrave.
Map Site 4. All Saints Church – by appointment Map Site 5. St. Nicholas Church – view by appointment or on Saturdays
Map site 8. Newarke Houses Museum (open) and Trinity Hospital Chapel (by appointment) Map site 6. The Guildhall – open/fee
Map site 7. Leicester Cathedral (St. Martins Church) - open Map site 7. Herrick tombs in St. Katherine’s Chapel in Leicester Cathedral 5 Herricks OF Woodhouse
Map site 9. Beaumanor. A medieval manor house located in Woodhouse Eaves was purchased in 1595 by Sir William Heyricke HGR III #58, (one of John’s #15 sons) and was rebuilt shortly thereafter. Sir William was knighted by James I for his work as Exchequer to the crown. His g-g-g-grandnephew,
William Perry Heyricke replaced it in 1848 with the current grand house with famed stained-glass windows of the coats of arms of the Heyricke and allied families. Family portraits line the walls. It is well worth a visit. See the Bulls Head Fountain, Alms Houses, thatched roof houses and St. Mary’s of the Elms church where the Heyricke’s were the main patrons. See Map page 9. Bus or taxi service is available.
Bull’s Head Fountain Almshourses Heyricke Crests Window
Picturesque thatched homes St. Mary’s of the Elms
6 Herricks in Belgrave and Beyond
Research is still underway to determine where Nicholas’ (#14) side of the family resided. Henry Hericke (Nicholas’ g-grandson) lived in Belgrave, was made free after his apprenticeship as a tailor in 1622, married Alice Mobbes in 1622 and had 2 sons, Thomas in 1623 and Samuel in 1626 whose baptisms were recorded at both St. Nicholas’ church in Leicester and St. Peter’s church in Belgrave by Rev. Francis Higginson, who officiated at both churches. Because of his connection with HIgginson, the theory has been formed by the Herrick Family Association that this is the Henry who arrived in Salem, MA in 1629 as a member of the Higginson Fleet. Henry is the progenitor of many of the Herricks in the US. His progeny is presented in the Herrick Genealogical Register III edition by Richard L. Herrick. Research continues to confirm that Henry of Belgrave is the Henry who moved to Salem, MA in 1629.
A stop can be made to view the outside of these two churches on the way to or upon return from
Woodhouse Eaves.
Map site 10. St. Peters Church in Montsorrel, attended by Godfrey Hericke, Henry’s brother, and wife Elizabeth Love.
Map site 11. St. Peter’s Church in Belgrave.
Henry Hericke’s children were baptized here
Talbot Inn and the gate to Belgrave Manor. by Rev. Francis Higginson in 1623 and 1626. Photo by Kate Jewell, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php ?curid=9149121
7 Resources
Local Guide: Irene Turlington is a knowledgeable guide for people interested in the Herrick family sites in Leicester including the St. Katherine’s Chapel in Leicester Cathedral (site of many Herrick tombs), the Guildhall, early churches where Herricks attended including St. Nicholas and All Saints, the Newarke House where the Herrick portraits are kept, the site of Robert Herrick’s house (and car park where Richard III’s remains were found, the new Richard III museum, and other Herrick family related sites in the central part of Leicester. She also can provide advice about trips to Great Stretton, Houghton on the Hill and Beaumanor at Woodhouse Eaves. She has been a tremendous team member helping the Herrick Family Association conduct research and conduct our 2009, 2014, and 2020 trips. Her email is [email protected]
Things to read and research before your trip: • Michael Herrick, Echoes of the Past: A Family Story, published in 2019. ISBN 978-1-7335733-0-6. Order from Mr. Herrick go to http://herrickresearch.com/herric-book/. A depiction of the life of the early Herrick family in England, the story of Henry Hericke’s migration to Salem, MA and the lives of one line of his descendants in America. Mike makes the history come alive!
• Mathew Morris, Richard Buckley and Mike Codd, Visions of Ancient Leicester, 2011. ISBN 978-0- 9560179-7-0. Wonderfully drawn illustrations show Leicester from the Roman times forward.
• Caroline Wessel, The Portrait of Beaumanor, published in 1988. ISBN 0 9514086 0 7. The history of Sir William Heyricke is described with rich photos and drawings.
• The Leicestershire & Rutland Family History Society has many Herrick related journal articles. www.lrfhs.org.uk
• Leicestershire Archaeology and History Society – Established in 1885, this society has produced historical articles and reports about the area and its people. An index of all the articles can be found on the website and are being scanned to be available online. Volumes 1-49 are already available and contain important Herrick family research. https://www.le.ac.uk
• Herrick Family Association website contains the research we’ve done, information about the completion of the Herrick Genealogical Register III, and the newsletters produced since our founding in 2000. Check out www.herrickfamilyassociation.org.
Herrick coat of arms Decorative version of coat of arms found on Herrick family tombs. 8
Woodhouse, Leicester and Great Stretton
Woodhouse
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Leicester City Center and Major Sites with Herrick Sites Indicated
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4 5 3 6 & 7
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3- Wigston House, 4- All Saint’s Church, 5– St. Nicholas Church, 6– Guildhall, 7– Leicester Cathedral and Herrick Chapel, 8– Newarke House
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